Method for making a finished fabric

ABSTRACT

A method for making a finished fabric comprising the following steps:
         (a) providing yarn; (b) sizing the yarn using a solution of about 75% of water based on the solution; about 12.5% of steam condensate based on the solution; and from about 12 to about 14% of a sizing solution, based on the solution wherein the temperature of the sizing solution is from about 155° F. to about 195° F.; and (c) weaving the yarn of step (b) to form an undyed woven fabric wherein the reed has dpi of from about 31.25 to about 31.75 and dent wire of from about 0.15 mm to about 0.28 mm and from about 2400 to 2700 dents, with from about 70 to about 80% air space, allowing the warp yarn to lie flatter, giving a more full appearance of the finished fabric. The method for making the finished fabric precludes finishing or desizing the undyed woven fabric. The finished fabric made from the foregoing method, and wall covering and art canvas including the finished fabric are also part of the present invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to method for making a finished fabric without a finishing step. The finished fabric may include cotton, polyester, or a cotton/polyester blend. The finished fabric may be used for wall covering and canvas, particularly printed wall covering and printed canvas.

A finished fabric is generally defined as a fabric ready for market, having passed through the necessary finished steps. For example, an example of a finished fabric may be made including steps of providing yarn, sizing the yarn in a size box including a temperature of 185° F., weaving the yarn to form a greige fabric on a loom including a loom of 31.50 dpi-2520 dents-0.28 mm dent wire with about 65.83% air space, desizing the greige fabric, and finishing the greige fabric including steps of heat setting, singeing, calendaring, embossing and application of finishes including anti-static finish, water finish, stain repellency finish, and resin finishes. However, the finishing step, or other steps including desizing are additional step(s) that impact the fabric and costs thereof.

Reeds, or loom reeds, are used in the textile industry as guides for various fibers in the weaving operations. The loom reeds hold and separate the warp yarns which are continuously drawn through the reeds while the filling yarns are woven through the warp yarns. As part of this weaving process, the loom reed is constantly reciprocated so as to position the filling yarns against each other. The loom reeds themselves are ordinarily comprised of a plurality of dent wires in spaced parallel relationship, the ends of the dent wires being firmly fixed within rigid frames. Typical of such loom reeds are those having metal frames wherein the ends of the dent wires are firmly soldered to wrapped wire spacing means and metal bars, e.g., as the basic loom reed structure described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,110 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,053.

The foregoing and other objects are accomplished by the invention described below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to make woven finished fabric. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.

In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for making an finished woven fabric comprising the following steps: (a) providing yarn; (b) sizing the yarn using a solution of about 75% of water based on the solution; about 12.5% of steam condensate based on the solution; and from about 12 to about 14% of a sizing solution, based on the solution wherein the temperature of the sizing solution is from about 155° F. to about 195° F.; and (c) weaving the yarn of step (b) to form an undyed woven fabric wherein the reed has dpi of from about 31.25 to about 31.75 and dent wire of from about 0.15 mm to about 0.28 mm and from about 2400 to 2700 dents, with from about 70 to about 80% air space allowing the warp yarn to lie flatter, giving a more full appearance.

In another aspect, the present invention is a process directed to a method for making an undyed woven finished fabric comprising the following steps: (a) providing yarn; (b) sizing the yarn using a solution of about 75% of water based on the solution; about 12.5% of steam condensate based on the solution; and from about 12 to about 14% of a sizing solution, based on the solution wherein the temperature of the sizing solution is from about 155° F. to about 195° F.; and (c) weaving the yarn of step (b) to form an undyed woven fabric wherein the reed has dpi of from about 31.25 to about 31.75 and dent wire of from about 0.15 mm to about 0.28 mm and from about 2400 to 2700 dents, with from about 70 to about 80% air space allowing the warp yarn to lie flatter, giving a more full appearance; and (e) not finishing the woven fabric wherein finishing is selected from the group consisting of heat setting, singeing, calendaring, embossing and application of finishes including anti-static finish, water finish, stain repellency finish, and resin finishes.

In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for making an undyed woven finished fabric wherein the temperature of the sizing solution in step (b) is from about 170° F. to about 180° F.

In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a wallpaper and art canvas comprising the finished fabric made by a method for making a finished fabric comprising the following steps: (a) providing yarn; (b) sizing the yarn using a solution of about 75% of water based on the solution; about 12.5% of steam condensate based on the solution; and from about 12 to about 14% of a sizing solution, based on the solution wherein the temperature of the sizing solution is from about 155° F. to about 195° F.; and (c) weaving the yarn of step (b) to form an undyed woven fabric wherein the reed has dpi of from about 31.25 to about 31.75 and dent wire of from about 0.15 mm to about 0.28 mm and from about 2400 to 2700 dents, with from about 70 to about 80% air space allowing the warp yarn to lie flatter, giving a more full appearance.

Numerous other features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description.

DEFINITIONS

It should be noted that, when employed in the present disclosure, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” and other derivatives from the root term “comprise” are intended to be open-ended terms that specify the presence of any stated features, elements, integers, steps, or components, and are not intended to preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, integers, steps, components, or groups thereof.

As used herein, the term “about” modifying the quantity of an ingredient in the compositions of the invention or employed in the methods of the invention refers to variation in the numerical quantity that may occur. The term “about” also encompasses amounts that differ due to different equilibrium conditions for a composition resulting from a particular initial mixture. Whether or not modified by the term “about,” the claims include equivalents to the quantities.

The term “canvas” as used herein refers to a closely woven, heavy cloth of cotton, polyester, or a blend of cotton and polyester used for tents, sails, art canvas, etc.

The term “cotton” as used herein refers to the fibrous substance composed of the fibers surrounding the seeds of various erect freely branching plants of the mallow family and wherein the cotton is carded and combed.

The term “dent” as used herein refers to a wire used in the reed of a loom. The number of dents per inch, dpi, indicates the warp count of the fabric.

The term “% air space” as used herein refers to the difference of 100% and the % dent wire per inch.

The terms “filling yarn” or “filling” as used herein refer to yarns adapted for use as the filling or filling in fabric, which may be finer and have fewer turns of twist per inch than warp yarn. The filling yarn is generally woven widthwise or crosswise in fabric.

The term “finished fabric” as used herein refers to fabric that is ready for market.

The term “greige” as used herein refers to fabrics in the unfinished state, after they have been woven and before dyeing or finishing.

The terms “warp yarn” or “warp” as used herein refer to yarns adapted for use as the warp in fabric, and may be stronger and have a higher number of turns of twist per inch than filling yarn. The warp yarn is generally woven lengthwise in fabric.

The term “polyester” as used herein refers to a manufactured filament or staple fiber in which the fiber forming substance is any long-chain synthetic polymer composed of at least 85% by weight of an ester of a substituted aromatic carboxylic acid, including but not restricted to substituted terephthalic units, p(—R—O—CO—C₆H₄—CO—O—)_(x) and parasubstituted hydroxy-benzoate units, p(—R—O—CO—C₆H₄—O—)_(x).

The term “undyed” as used herein refers to the natural color state of the fabric.

The term “woven fabric” as used herein refers to a cloth formed by weaving.

The term “% by weight” or “% wt” or “wt %” as used herein and referring to components of the fabric as a percentage of the total weight of the fabric, unless otherwise specified herein.

The term “wall covering” as used herein refers to material such as wallpaper or textured fabric used as a decorative covering for interior walls.

The term “yarn” as used herein refers to a continuous strand of textile fibers.

These terms may be defined with additional language in the remaining portions of the specification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While typical aspects of embodiment and/or embodiments have been set forth for the purpose of illustration, this Detailed Description should not be deemed to be a limitation on the scope of the invention. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations, and alternatives may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. By way of a hypothetical illustrative example, a disclosure in this specification of a range of from 1 to 5 shall be considered to support claims to any of the following ranges: 1-5; 1-4; 1-3; 1-2; 2-5; 2-4; 2-3; 3-5; 3-4; and 4-5.

The present invention is directed to a method for making an finished fabric comprising the following steps: (a) providing yarn; (b) sizing the yarn using a solution of about 75% of water based on the solution; about 12.5% of steam condensate based on the solution; and from about 12 to about 14% of a sizing solution, based on the solution wherein the temperature of the sizing solution is from about 155° F. to about 195° F. or from 155° F. to about 180° F.; and (c) weaving the yarn of step (b) to form an undyed woven fabric wherein the reed has dpi of from about 31.25 to about 31.75 and dent wire of from about 0.15 mm to about 0.28 mm and from about 2400 to 2700 dents, with from about 70 to about 80% air space allowing the warp yarn to lie flatter, giving a more full appearance. In another embodiment, the method for making the finished woven fabric includes sizing of the polyester yarn wherein the temperature of the sizing solution is from about 165° F. to about 180° F.

In another embodiment, the process includes the step of not finishing the woven fabric wherein finishing is selected from the group consisting of heat setting, singeing, calendaring, embossing and application of finishes including anti-static finish, water finish, stain repellency finish, and resin finishes. In another embodiment, the process includes the step of not desizing the woven fabric to form the undyed woven fabric. In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to wall covering and canvas, printed wall covering and printed canvas, comprising the undyed woven finished fabric made with the process of the present invention.

The yarn employed in the fabric may be a textured polyester yarn, cotton, or a blend of polyester and cotton. Such yarns are commercially available, and their manufacture is well known in the arts. Briefly, partially oriented yarn (POY) is modified by crimping, imparting random loops, or otherwise modifying the bulk or surface texture of yarn to increase cover, absorbency, resilience, abrasion resistance, warmth, insulation and/or to improve aesthetics. A general description of the texturing process may be found in the Encyclopedia of Textiles, Fibers, and Non-woven Fabrics, Encyclopedia Reprint Series, Ed. Martin Grayson, pages 381-398, John Wiley and Sons (1984) and Dictionary of Fiber and Textile Technology, Hoechst Celanese (1989). The yarn is preferably not heated above a temperature of 300° F. during the texturing process and generally will not be heated above a temperature of 225° F.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the finished fabric comprises polyester yarn. The polyester yarn includes commercially available virgin polyester or recycled polyester wherein the recycled polyester may be produced using post-consumer products such as polyester soda or water bottles or other plastic items. The polyester fiber may be high tenacity, semi-dull staple having a cut length of about 1½ inches and a round cross section with a nominal denier of from about 1.5 to about 2.0 denier or from about 1.6 to about 1.8 denier. The nominal denier may be from about 2.25 to about 2.5 for certain woven polyester fabrics.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the woven fabric comprises cotton yarn. The cotton shall be carded. And in another embodiment of the present invention, the woven fabric comprises a blend of polyester and cotton yarn wherein the total amount of polyester and cotton yarn in the woven fabric is 100 wt %.

Sizing is any one of numerous specific substances that is applied to or incorporated in other material, especially textiles, to act as protecting filler or glaze. Sizing is used in textile manufacturing to change the absorption and wear characteristics of those materials. Sizing also refers to the process of including or applying the substance. Sizing of the warp yarn is essential to reduce breakage of the yarn and thus production stops on the weaving machine. On the weaving machine, the warp yarns are subjected to several types of actions i.e. cyclic strain, flexing, abrasion at various loom parts and inter yarn friction. With sizing, the strength, or abrasion resistance, of the yarn will improve, and the hairiness of yarn will decrease. The degree of improvement of strength depends on adhesion force between fiber and size, size penetration as well as encapsulation of yarn. As the yarn passes through the size box, much less size is picked up in comparison with the conventional running of dry yarn through a size box, as the water of the broken down foam has already wetted the interior of the yarn such that the size will be picked up primarily on the surface of the yarn where it is needed for conditioning of the yarn for subsequent processing.

In the present invention, sizing the yarn includes using a solution comprising about 75% of water based on the solution; about 12.5% of steam condensate based on the solution; and from about 12 to about 14% of a sizing solution, based on the solution. The temperature of the sizing solution is from about 155° F. to about 195° F., or 155° F. to about 180° F. or from about 165° F. to 175° F. The sizing solution includes different types of water soluble polymers, called textile sizing agents/chemicals, such as modified starch, PVA, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and acrylates are used to protect the yarn. Also, wax may be added to reduce the abrasiveness of the warp yarns. The type of yarn material (e.g. polyester), the thickness of the yarn, and type of weaving machinery will determine the sizing solution. In preparing the warp beam, suitable sizing agents include starch, PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) or a mixture of starch and PVA. One suitable sizing agent includes PhilChem 25 HU-B, which is made by Mount Vernon Chemicals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mount Vernon Mills.

The sizing liquor is applied on warp yarn with a warp sizing machine. Sizing may be done in a sizing machine.

The weaving step of the present invention includes weaving the yarn of step (b) to form a fabric wherein the reed is to form an undyed woven fabric wherein the reed has dpi of from about 31.25 to about 31.75 and dent wire of from about 0.15 mm to about 0.28 mm and from about 2400 to 2700 dents, with from about 70 to about 80% air space allowing the warp yarn to lie flatter, giving a more full appearance. In one embodiment, the reed has about 31.50 dpi-2520 dents-0.20 mm dent wire.

Weaving can be done on a loom, which is a machine for weaving a fabric by interlacing a series of vertical, parallel threads (warp) with a series of horizontal, parallel threads (the filling). The warp yarns, from a beam, pass through the heddles and reed, and the filling device is settled in place by the reed and lay. The reed is a comb-like device on a loom that separates the warp yarns and also beats each succeeding filling thread against that already woven fabric. This usually includes of a top and bottom rib of wood into which metal strips or wires are set. The space between two adjacent wires is called a dent (or split), and the warp is drawn through the dents. The fineness of the reed is calculated by the number of dents per inch, dpi.

The following represents a typical calculation of parameters of a typical dent:

-   -   A=Thickness of the dent wire as purchased in mm     -   B=Dents per Inch     -   C=Thickness of the dent wire in inches     -   D=% Dent Wire per Inch     -   E=% Air Space     -   The thickness of the dent wire in inches (C)=1/25.4*A     -   % Dent Wire per inch (D)=B*C     -   % Air Space=100%−D%

The air space is actually the individual spaces in the reed (a metal piece that runs the width of the loom) where the warp yarns come into the weaving space to meet the filling yarns. Different yarn sizes require different air spaces for weaving to be accomplished effectively. Air space is measured as 100%-% Dent Wire per Inch. It is preferred that the air space is from about 72 to about 78%, or from about 74 to about 76%, or about 75.2%.

The woven fabric is comprised of a warp yarn and a filling yarn. The warp and the filling are woven together in such a way that the warp and the filling yarns are interlaced with the warp running length-wise and the filling running cross-wise. The warp yarn can be single or 2-ply, and the filling yarn may be 2-ply or singles. The weave of the woven fabric may be twill weave, ripstop weave, basket weave, or a plain weave with reinforcement ribs in both the warp and filling directions forming a uniform pattern. The ribs may be formed by having every twenty-fourth warp end contain two ends weaving as one and every thirteenth filling contain two picks weaving as one. The weave of the woven fabric may also be twill weave, such as 2/1.

The yarns are typically woven into the fill, or filling, direction of the fabric. Yarn size selection and woven fabric structural design are adjusted to achieve a stable finished woven fabric having the targeted fabric weight and stretch level. The fabric weight of the woven fabric is normally at least about 5 oz/yd², or from about 5 oz/yd² to about 8 oz/yd². A suitable woven fabric of the invention comprising 2/1 left hand twill weave can be prepared using yarn having about 75 to about 106 warp ends per inch and yarn having about 50 to about 65 filling ends per inch. A typical woven fabric may include from about 75 to about 95 warp ends (yarns) per inch, or epi, and about 50 to about 65 filling ends (yarns) per inch, or ppi. The initial woven fabric produced is generally referred to herein as a greige fabric.

The process of the present invention does not include a step of desizing the undyed fabric and scoured to remove slashing agents and weaving oils. In particular, desizing is a process of converting the size in greige goods into a soluble form which is then washed out.

The finished fabric of the foregoing process further includes the step of not finishing the fabric. Finishing generally refers to processes through which greige fabric passes after being taken from the loom, which convert the woven or knitted cloth into a usable material and more specifically to any process performed after dyeing the yarn or fabric to improve the look, performance, or “hand” (feel) of the finished textile. The precise meaning depends on context. Some finishing techniques, such as dyeing, are applied to yarn before it is woven while others are applied to the greige cloth directly after it is woven or knitted. This covers dyeing, sizing, and processes which give the desired surface effect, e.g., napping, calendaring, embossing, et cetera. This covers both chemical and mechanical processes. Finishing is selected from the group consisting of heat setting, singeing, calendaring, embossing and application of finishes including anti-static finish, water finish, stain repellency finish, and resin finishes.

In one mode of the invention, an undyed woven finished fabric is prepared. The finished fabric may include cotton, polyester or a blend of cotton and polyester. The steps included providing yarn; sizing the yarn in a size box at a temperature of 175° F. with a solution including 2400 lbs of water, 400 lbs of steam condensate and 400 lbs of Philchem 25 HU-B. The yarn was then woven on a loom including a reed the reed has dpi of from about 31.25 to about 31.75 and dent wire of from about 0.15 mm to about 0.28 mm and from about 2400 to 2700 dents, with from about 70 to about 80% air space and about 75.2% air space to form polyester fabric. The method for making the woven fabric does not include a desizing step or a finishing step.

Another mode of the invention includes a wall covering, art canvas, printed wall covering and printed art canvas comprising the finished fabric.

Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame. Canvas can also be printed on using offset or specialist digital printers to create canvas prints.

Wall covering is a material such as wallpaper or textured fabric used as a decorative covering for interior walls. Wallpaper types include painted wallpaper, hand-printed blockwood wallpaper, hand-printed stencil wallpaper, machine-printed wallpaper, and flock wallpaper. New digital inkjet printing technologies using ultraviolet (UV) cured inks are being used for custom wallpaper production.

In the specification above, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined by the claims that follow. 

1. A method for making a finished fabric comprising the following steps: (a) providing a yarn selected from polyester, cotton, or a blend thereof; (b) sizing the yarn using a solution of about 75% of water based on the solution; about 12.5% of steam condensate based on the solution; and from about 12 to about 14% of a sizing solution, based on the solution wherein the temperature of the sizing solution is from about 155° F. to about 195° F.; and (c) weaving the yarn of step (b) to form an undyed woven fabric wherein the reed has dpi of from about 31.25 to about 31.75 and dent wire of from about 0.15 mm to about 0.28 mm and from about 2400 to 2700 dents, with from about 70 to about 80% air space.
 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the following steps: (d) not finishing the undyed woven fabric wherein finishing is selected from the group consisting of heat setting, singeing, calendaring, embossing and application of finishes including anti-static finish, water finish, stain repellency finish, and resin finishes.
 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the following steps: (e) not desizing the undyed woven fabric.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the air space is from about 72 to about 78%.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the air space is from about 74 to about 76%.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the air space is from about 75.2%.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the sizing solution in step (b) is from about 165° F. to about 180° F.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the sizing solution comprises polyvinyl alcohol.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the reed is selected from about 31.50 dpi-2520 dents-0.20 mm dent wire.
 10. A finished fabric made by the method of claim
 1. 11. A wall covering comprising the finished fabric of claim
 10. 12. A canvas comprising the finished fabric of claim
 10. 